Dog must be removed from Lisbon
June 22, 2012 · Jen Rothmeyer, Sun news

Max, an 8-pound Pomeranian owned by Kathryn Anderson, must find a new home outside of the Lisbon city limits.

At a hearing June 11, the Lisbon City Council upheld the decision of police chief Rick Scott that the dog belonging to Anderson must be removed from the city after biting someone.

"I think everybody has the given right to walk down a city street ... and not having to worry about being attacked by a dog," chief Scott said. "Maybe it was a faulty thing, but, you know what, it is still the owner's responsibility."

According to the city, Max got free from his leash May 28 and bit a pedestrian on Jackson Street. Per city ordinance "Chapter 55 Animal Protection and Control," Scott sent a letter to Anderson informing her that she was ordered to "remove the dog from the City Limits of Lisbon or have it destroyed." The letter also explained the three-day period in which the recipient could request a hearing and the consequences of not removing the dog. Anderson requested a hearing. Anderson was cited after the incident for "55.06 At Large Prohibited" for Max being off his leash and failure to license the dog. She then purchased a license and Scott voided the second citation.

The fact that Max was not registered and Anderson couldn't prove the dog was up-to-date on shots was a cause for concern, Scott said. He said he spent a lot of time that night worrying about the incident and trying to track down the veterinarian records to see if the dog was vaccinated. Scott said he spoke with the vet at 6:30 the next morning and soon after Anderson brought in the shot records. Max was up-to-date on his shots.

During her hearing at the council meeting, Anderson reported in a letter that the dog leash had snapped when Max became overly excited from a honking horn. The leash was rusted from the weather and had a crack in the coating, her letter explained, and she brought the leash to show the council.

The council stuck to the ordinance, though, and did not countermand Chief Scott's recommendation. They did, however, unanimously decide to give Anderson a 10-day period to find Max a new home, instead of the ordinance's three days, and also refunded her $5 licensing fee since Max would no longer be in the city limits.

Lisbon mayor Beryl O'Connor said that the city should probably look into the ordinance. The city just reviewed the ordinance last fall when they considered a pit bull ban -which ultimately did not pass.

Council member Travis Jubeck said, "We are not here to be mean, but we have [the ordinances] for a reason. Whether we have to look over them again is - we'll have to take a look at that." He then followed it up by saying, "If we're not going to enforce our laws, then there is no sense in us even having them. [...] I feel bad."